Course Syllabus for NC 180

Introduction to Medical Nutrition Therapy

Spring 2008

Instructor: Gail Meinhold MS RDEmail:

Office Hours as arranged

Books and Supplies to Purchase

  • Book: Nutrition and Diet Therapy; Cataldo, DeBruyne, Whitney
  • Class supplement with power point slides and projects. Also on Black Board Vista.
  • 3 ring notebook to keep class notes
  • Pocket Notebook – organized collection of information which fits in the pocket of a lab coat
  • 4 Scantrons (#882) and No. 2 pencil or as specified by the instructor
  • Calculator
  • Highlighter pen

At the completion of this course students will be expected to:

  1. Identify basic medical terminology related to special disease and body conditions.
  2. List the components involved in the nutritional assessment protocol.
  3. Identify the nutritional components of a diet necessary to meet daily dietary needs for individuals of various ages and lifestyles.
  4. Plan modifications of the normal diet in regard to specific body conditions or diseases and discuss the need for accuracy in following any diet prescribed by a physician.
  5. Define the psychological factors involved in planning, preparing and serving food to the sick.
  6. Discuss appropriate techniques for educating the patient regarding dietary changes, recognizing the importance of patient rights and lifestyles.
  7. Describe the various hospital routines related to planning and preparing modified diets, tube feedings and test diets.
  8. Identify adaptive feeding equipment and its purpose.

FN 180- Assignments and Projects

1. Case studies. Three case studies will be passed out during the semester. You will be given 2 weeks to complete each study. Some questions on the case studies will require library research and information from professionals such as doctors, pharmacists and registered dietitians. Four references will be required for each study. Case studies must be typed to receive points. Worth 50 points each.

2. Professional Meetings. You will be required to attend 1 or more meetings. Write a report summarizing what you learned. Include any hand-out material you obtained. Worth 25 points. Due the week following the professional meeting.

3. MyPyramid Project. Your task is to plan a 1-day “perfect” diet for yourself. Your goal is to review your current diet and then plan a diet that has all the food groups met according to the USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines. Worth 25 points.

4. “Special Diet” grocery list. Working is groups of two, you will develop a list of products for assigned diets (low sodium, gluten free, sugar free, etc). Visit 2 or 3 markets or health food stores in the area. Record the products available, price, and nutrient content per serving. Type the information that you gather. The final project should include names and addresses of markets, products available, price and nutrient content. Worth 25 points.

5. Follow a diabetic diet. Be a ‘patient’ and follow a modified calorie level diabetic diet plan for a week, keeping a log of all carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories (carbohydrates counting) you consumed daily in food and beverages. Summarize your feelings and how successful you were in maintaining your prescription. Hint: Be sure to get instructor’s approval for diet plan, first. Worth 25 points.

6. Nutrition / Health – Related Bill. For one of your assignments, you are to select a nutrition / health related bill that has been introduced in Congress and write a paper. It will be helpful of use the search engine of the Library of Congress ( to find a bill in which you are interested. Worth 40 points.

7. Pocket notebook. You will be responsible for keeping an organized collection of information you receive throughout the semester. This notebook is to fit in the pocket of a lab coat. Worth 75 points.

8. Research paper and class presentation. Each student will researcha disease in depth, using reputable scientific literature and make a 15-30 minute professional presentation to the class. Use visual aids (power point) and handouts. Your report must have a minimum of 5 references. At the time of your presentation, turn in typed report. Worth 100 points. Due Date: Instructor will assign date based on topic correlating with schedule.

Research Topic Ideas (must get approval from instructor):

Hypoglycemia Food AllergiesWomen & Heart DiseaseSpecial Ethnic Diets

Bone Health BurnsMetabolic Diseases (PKU)Cirrhosis

Hepatitis Anemias Cystic FibrosisCOPD

HIV & AIDS Gout Neurologic DiseasesRheumatoid Arthritis

Eating Disorders Syndrome XCrohns DiseaseNutrition & Depression

Methods of Evaluation:

DSS Students

Regular Attendance and Participation 25 25

Quizzes: 4 @ 25 pts each100100

Assignments: 3 @ 25 pts each 75 75

Case Studies: 3 @ 50 pts each150100

Nutrition / Health Related Bill Oral Update 10 -

Nutrition / Health Related Bill 40 -

Research Project (paper and presentation)100 -

Pocket Notebook 75 75

Comprehensive Final100 100

Total675 475

**Note**

Missed quizzes may not be made up! All quizzes will be given during the 1st 20 minutes of class.

Your final grade: Grading is based on the policies of the FN Department. Your final grade is based on the percentage scale:

90 – 100% = A 80 – 90% = B 80 –70% = C 70 – 60% = D <60% = F

Attendance: Students are expected to arrive on time and attend regularly. Lecture information will cover a number of topics NOT found in the book. So ATTENDANCE is very important. Absences will be reflected in test scores and class participation.

Projects are due as scheduled at the beginning of the regular class period. Late projects or exercises will be accepted at the next regularly scheduled class period with a 50% reduction in grade. After this date, there is no credit. Please type all projects,unless specified. Any illegible project will be returned to be revised and will be counted as a late project. All projects and papers must be properly cited and referenced (refer to handout).

Dropping of the course: You are responsible for dropping yourself from class through the Admissions and Records Office. It is the policy of the FN Department NOT to drop students, it is your responsibility.

Academic Integrity:Cheating and plagiarism has become a serous problem on campus. In order to prevent misunderstanding it is important that you do your own work at all times.
Students are responsible for being familiar with and adhering to the student code of conduct.
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, the following: cheating on an examination, assignment, or quiz; plagiarism on any paper or report; falsifying data on research or a report; presentation of forged documents; misrepresentation of information in oral, online, or written form. Such violations will result in stiff penalties to be decided on a case by case basis in consultation with faculty members within the department. Students will be required to attend the faculty consultation session. Penalties may include expulsion.